1.
Business desktop users can get
increased performance and value
with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower
vs. Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower
If your business is currently evaluating which Performance
Desktop to purchase, consider making the jump to more
powerful workstations, which can deliver better performance
and greater overall value.
At Principled Technologies, we compared the Dell Precision™
3640 Tower workstation to the Dell OptiPlex™
7080 Tower.
Across three levels of configurations to reflect different use
cases, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower outperformed the
Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower in the majority of the benchmark
workloads, achieving those productivity wins with improved or
comparable thermal and acoustic measurements.
The Dell Precision 3640 Tower improved performance on
high-intensity office software and workstation applications
at a slightly higher cost—with the Intel Core i9-10900K
processor-based configuration priced at around US $27
more than its Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower counterpart. This
shows that business users requiring systems that deliver high-
end performance can get better performance and value by
forgoing a traditional desktop and investing in the power of
the Dell Precision 3640 Tower.
Boost performance
for as little as
US $27 extra*
Up to
11.1% better
CPU performance on
Cinebench R20
Stays cool
and runs up to
3.2dB quieter
under GPU-heavy loads
potentially recoup
that in under
9 days
*Pricing may vary.
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised)
A Principled Technologies report: Hands-on testing. Real-world results.

2.
Our comparison
We compared configurations of the following systems:
• Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation
• Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower
each with the same memory and storage and the
following processors:
• Intel®
Core™
i7-10700
• Intel Core i9-10900
• Intel Core i9-10900K
We compared the six systems in the following areas:
• Performance benchmarks
y BapCo®
SYSmark®
2018
y Cinebench®
R20
y SPECworkstation®
3
y SPECviewperf®
13
• Thermals and acoustics
• Price, performance/dollar, and ROI
We chose performance benchmarks stressing CPU and GPU with various types of workloads to replicate several
performance-intensive application scenarios. The Precision 3640 Tower systems featured NVIDIA Quadro GPUs and
OptiPlex 7080 Tower systems had NVIDIA GeForce GPUs. Learn more about our testing, including specific system
configurations, in the science behind the report.
About the Dell Precision 3640
Tower workstation
For organizations with users who could benefit from
workstation-level performance, the Dell Precision 3640
Tower offers multiple 10th Generation Intel Core and
Intel Xeon®
processor options with advanced features
such as RMT Pro, professional graphics, AI-powered
Dell Optimizer, and larger PSUs and additional cooling.
Users can choose up to NVIDIA Quadro RTX5000
graphics and up to 128GB RAM. The Precision 3640
Tower features up to 6TB total PCIe SSD capacity and
Win 10 Pro for Workstations and Ubuntu 18.04 OS
options to deliver the experience that users desire.
To learn more about the Dell Precision 3640 Tower
workstation, visit https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/
shop/workstations-isv-certified/new-precision-3640-
tower-workstation/spd/precision-3640-workstation.
About the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower
For organizations with users who could benefit from
premium-level day-to-day desktop performance,
the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower is built with 10th
Generation Intel Core processors, offering the
flexibility to select up to 4TB total SSD capacity
and features up to Win 10 Pro and Ubuntu 18.04.
Users with graphics content consumption can have
a multiple graphics card options up to NVIDIA RTX
2070 Super and up to 128GB RAM. The OptiPlex
Tower also supports Intel Optane technology and
PowerShare enabled, Gen 2 type USB Ports for
faster data transfer.
To learn more about the Dell OptiPlex 7080
Tower, visit https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/
shop/desktops-n-workstations/new-7080/spd/
optiplex-7080-desktop.
The Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation (left)
and the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower (right).
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 2

3.
Stronger performance stepping up to the Dell Precision 3640 Tower
Providing employees with more powerful workstations instead of high-end desktops can help them be more
productive throughout the workday. To highlight potential benefits, we assessed the performance of the Dell
Precision 3640 Tower with three different processors compared to the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower with the
same processors, we ran four productivity benchmarks. We ran each benchmark three times and report the
median of each run.
The SYSmark 2018 benchmark uses business applications to deliver an Overall Rating based on scores in three
categories: Productivity, Creativity, and Responsiveness. In SYSmark 2018 tests, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower
provided a better performance rating vs. the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower with the Intel Core i7-10700 and Intel
Core i9-10900 processor configurations, and a comparable rating with the Intel Core i9-10900K configuration
(see Figure 1).
Figure 1: SYSmark 2018 Overall Rating scores for the test systems. Higher is better. Source: Principled Technologies.
Cinebench R20 is another standard benchmark that assesses computer hardware, completing 3D renderings to tax
the processor. In Cinebench R20 tests, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower provided up to an 11.1 percent higher overall
rating vs. the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Cinebench R20 Overall Rating scores for the test systems. Higher is better. Source: Principled Technologies.
1,940 1,883
2,003 1,952
2,088 2,087
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Intel Core i7-10700 Intel Core i9-10900 Intel Core i9-10900K
Overall
Rating
SYSmark 2018
3.0% 2.6% 0%
Higher is better
11.1% 2.4% 1.4%
3,941
3,547
4,543 4,434
5,666 5,585
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
Intel Core i7-10700 Intel Core i9-10900 Intel Core i9-10900K
Overall
Rating
Cinebench R20
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Higher is better
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 3

4.
SPECworkstation 3 evaluates system performance using typical tasks in seven key areas (Media and Entertainment,
Product Development, Life Sciences, Financial Services, Energy, General Operations, and GPU Compute). In
SPECworkstation 3 tests, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower provided consistently better performance than the
Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower (see Figures 3 and 4). For complete SPECworkstation 3 results, see the science
behind the report.
Figure 3: SPECworkstation 3 Product Development workload scores for the test systems. Higher is better.
Source: Principled Technologies.
Figure 4: SPECworkstation 3 Life Sciences workload scores for the test systems. Higher is better.
Source: Principled Technologies.
SPECviewperf 13 measures 3D graphics performance using professional applications. In SPECviewperf 13 tests
using nine renders, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower outperformed the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower on all nine renders
with the Intel Core i7-10700 configuration, six renders with the Intel Core i9-10900 configuration, and six renders
with the Intel Core i9-10900K configuration. This shows that the Dell Precision 3640 Tower generally offers better
3D graphics performance than does the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower. To see the SPECviewperf 13 results in detail, see
the science behind the report.
74.7% 30.1% 14.9%
1.73
0.99
2.29
1.76
2.77
2.41
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
Intel Core i7-10700 Intel Core i9-10900 Intel Core i9-10900K
SPECworkstation 3 – Life Sciences
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Higher is better
41.5% 24.6% 16.9%
2.01
1.42
2.96
2.53
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
2.63
2.11
Intel Core i7-10700 Intel Core i9-10900 Intel Core i9-10900K
SPECworkstation 3 – Product Development
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Higher is better
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 4

5.
Comparing thermals and acoustics
Systems with more processing and graphics power can also increase heat and noise—two things most users would
like to diminish. Towers that produce significant levels of heat without an efficient thermal management system can
slow performance or even experience unwanted shutdowns during peak performance times. The Dell Precision
3640 Tower ran just slightly hotter despite largely outperforming the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower in benchmark tests,
suggesting a more efficient thermal solution at work (see Figure 5).
Figure 5: Thermal readings during PassMark test in degrees Celsius. Lower is better.
Source: Principled Technologies.
Too much noise can create problems in open-office floorplans, work-from-home setups, small offices, or service
desks. Our tests showed that both the Dell Precision 3640 Tower and Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower ran quietly—with
the more powerful Dell Precision 3640 Tower running up to 2 percent louder than the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower in a
few of the tests.
At its loudest—during Unigine Heaven tests, which stresses system graphics—the Dell Precision 3640 Tower with
Intel Core i9-10900K processor still sounded quiet for an office or home office setup, falling within the range of
rustling leaves, quiet rural areas, and the ambient noise of a library, according to comparative examples from IAC
acoustics.1
(See Figure 6.) This shows that the Dell Precision 3640 Tower can deliver stronger performance without
creating uncomfortable or prohibitive noise for users. To see the results of our thermal and acoustics tests, see the
science behind the report.
Figure 6: Comparative noise levels in dB. Lower is better. Source: Principled Technologies.
2.3°
4.9° 4.2° 4.9°
0.9° 2.8°
81 78.7 81.7 80.8 81.2 78.4
32.7
37.6
30.5
34.7 32.6
37.5
0
20
40
60
80
Intel Core i7-10700 Intel Core i9-10900 Intel Core i9-10900K
Degrees
Celsius
Thermal readings during PassMark BurnIn test
Dell Precision 3640 Tower
CPU average CPU average CPU average
Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower
GPU average GPU average GPU average
Lower is better
Comparative noise levels
dB, lower is better
Office
(60 dB)
Lawnmower at 25 ft
(90 dB)
Thunderclap
(120 dB)
Jet take-off at 25 m
(150 dB)
Library
(40 dB)
Rustling leaves
(20 dB)
Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower
(38.8 dB)
Dell Precision 3640 Tower
(35.6 dB)
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 5

6.
Step up to a Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation for little added cost
The price jump of going from a desktop to a more powerful workstation may not be as steep as you might expect.
In fact, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation costs marginally more than the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower; the Dell
Precision 3640 Tower with Intel Core i9-10900K processor costs approximately US $27 extra compared to the Dell
OptiPlex 7080 Tower with the same processor. Similarly, the Intel Core i7-10700 processor-powered configuration
costs US $45 more, and the Intel Core i9-10900 processor-powered configuration costs US $265 more. As Figure
7 shows, when you factor in the performance improvements of the Dell Precision 3640, it provides greater overall
performance/USD value than the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower configurations we tested. We selected Cinebench
results for this calculation because the benchmark assesses processor-intensive tasks.
Figure 7: Performance per dollar (USD) for the systems using Cinebench test results and pricing information from the Dell
website on November 16, 2020. Higher is better. Source: Principled Technologies.
7.9% 9.0% 0.4%
2.57
2.38
1.92
2.11 2.17 2.16
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
Intel Core i7-10700 Intel Core i9-10900 Intel Core i9-10900K
Performance/USD (Cinebench)
Higher is better
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
Dell Precision
3640 Tower
Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower
The Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation.
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 6

7.
Quick payback on your added investment
How long could it take to recoup the modest cost increase for selecting the Dell Precision 3640 Tower? Here,
we explore a sample value analysis—though there are many ways to analyze value, and your results will vary
depending on employee work habits and more. We estimate that the performance increase that the Dell Precision
3640 Tower provides could offset its additional cost over the Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower in as little as nine workdays
for a Intel Core i9-10900K processor configuration, assuming a user works at the system for two hours per workday.
Using the same approach, we estimate that an Intel Core i9-10900 processor-based configuration could repay its
additional cost in 143 days, while the Intel Core i7-10700 processor-based configuration could pay back its added
cost in 22 days.
To conduct this analysis, we used pricing data from the Dell website (on November 16, 2020) for each configuration
and factored in the most relevant performance numbers from our testing, based on what types of tasks typical users
of each configuration likely spend their time on. For the entry- and mid-level Intel Core i7-10700 and i9-10900
processor configurations, we used SYSmark Overall Rating scores that reflect general office tasks. For the higher-
end Intel Core i9-10900K processor configurations, we used average SPECworkstation 3 scores, because users that
choose more powerful processors are more likely to use a more diverse range of applications.
To determine the time to pay back the extra investment, we calculated and hourly rate of US $36 from the average
total compensation for private industry workers as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for June 2020.2
Then, we determined the cost of each work hour to show how long it would take the added performance of each
Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation to justify the extra investment over a similarly configured Dell OptiPlex 7080
Tower. If your employees spend more time on intense business tasks and applications than the conservative two
hours per day we used in our estimate, the Dell Precision 3640 Tower could improve productivity enough to justify
its cost in even fewer workdays than we outline here. Plus, after recouping the cost of the systems, performance
improvements will continue to save money in additional productivity benefits.
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 7

8.
Conclusion
Business users looking for performance desktops weigh performance, thermals, acoustics, and overall value when
choosing a new system. The different configurations of Dell Precision 3640 Tower and Dell OptiPlex 7080 Tower we
tested all performed well—but the Dell Precision 3640 Tower offered the highest levels of performance and value.
We found that an organization choosing the Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation over the Dell OptiPlex
7080 Tower could pay as little as US $27 extra per system to reap productivity benefits it could provide. The
Dell Precision 3640 Tower using any of three processor configurations generally scored higher across several
industry-standard benchmarks without significantly expanding heat thresholds or adding to ambient noise. If
your organization is on the fence about choosing a high-end performance desktop or making the leap to more
powerful workstations, these results show that selecting the Dell Precision 3640 Tower workstation could be worth
the investment.
1 IAC Acoustics, “Comparative Examples of Noise Levels,” accessed November 16, 2020, https://www.iacacoustics.com/blog-
full/comparative-examples-of-noise-levels.html.
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Average total compensation of private industry workers - June 2020,” accessed Novem-
ber 23, 2020, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t04.htm.
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
For additional information, review the science behind this report.
Principled
Technologies®
Facts matter.®
Principled
Technologies®
Facts matter.®
This project was commissioned by Dell Technologies.
Read the science behind this report at http://facts.pt/fI2VZF5
Business desktop users can get increased performance and value with a Dell Precision 3640 Tower March 2021 (Revised) | 8